"Pretty much every day, a new axe-throwing venue is opening across the country somewhere," said LumberjAxes owner Corey Deasy. "People might not know what this is about right now in the U.S., but I feel really strongly that in a year or two most people will know about it."

Deasy experienced a similar situation when establishing Pittsburgh's first escape room in 2014, which was also one of the first in the country. Few people knew about the facilities at the time, but word of mouth helped increase business to the point they expanded to a second venue. He got the idea for LumberjAxes after visiting Philadelphia last year.

"I was visiting my sister, and she booked an axe-throwing tournament," he said. "I didn't know exactly what it was at the time, but it was fun and exciting."

His wife was eight months pregnant at the time, proving that pretty much anyone can play.

The sport is similar to darts or a shooting range. Players stand 14 feet from a bullseye, which is just enough room for a single rotation of the axe to hit the wood target head-on. Just like darts, hitting in the middle of the bullseye earns more points than hits in the outer ring.

"I was a slow learner on this. It took me probably 15-30 throws to really start to get the axes to stick," Deasy said. "Whereas so many people we've had through as test groups, within the first five throws they get it sticking."

Groups of six or more can book a 2 1/2-hour session online or by phone for $35 per person. Each group gets a pair of lanes and a coach to teach them how to safely and accurately throw the axes.

After a 30-minute training, visitors get to compete next to one another in a tournament. Players will throw five axes each in three separate rounds, and the winner is whoever earns more points in two or more of those rounds. In the event of a tie, the coach will bring out a 25-inch axe for a winner-takes-all throw from a bit farther back.

Individuals and smaller groups can pay $20 each for hourlong walk-in sessions during less busy times. Walk-ins will be offered from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays as well as noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

LumberjAxes requires all throwers to be at least 18 years old. Those of legal drinking age are welcome to bring in a six-pack of beer or bottle of wine to share during the session, but Deasy said they will be keeping a strict eye on alcohol intake to ensure visitors are safe. No hard liquor or excessive amounts of beer will be allowed.

Other safety practices include lines behind which spectators must stand, no open shoes, and a stump for holding axes between rounds instead of having competitors hand blades to one another.

As they get up and running, Deasy hopes to bring food trucks to the facility and partner with Grist House Craft Brewery down the street (they share a parking lot) for events at the brewery.